


The Bright Side to Every Blunder

by GroundZeroFirework



Series: Royal Family [3]
Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: But six steps is kind of a stretch to fit in a one-shot, Courtship, F/F, Just practicing on how to write romance too, OC is a dork, Probs OOC too, Romance, Step by step - Freeform, Trash (probably), was supposed to be a one-shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-20
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-17 16:42:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13080999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GroundZeroFirework/pseuds/GroundZeroFirework
Summary: Alternate Title: How to Show and Prove to Someone You Love Them in Six Not-so Easy StepsJust a little fic I made that takes a few months after both "The Answers She Seeks" and "Reminiscence"NOTE: If you haven't done so already, please read the aforementioned stories to learn more about my OC, Claudia.





	1. Steps One to Two

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome one and welcome all to a new story in this series! I mentioned before that I will only make a new story in this series if Reminiscence was well received so I checked the stats and it seemed well received enough. So, here is the new story "The Bright Side to Every Blunder". Buckle your seatbelts ladies and gents because this is one long-ass chapter, surpassing even Reminiscence's page count by like one page.

“So…are you planning on actually making a move on Lailah? As in actually telling her you love her and maybe discussing the possibility of a long term future with her?”

Those words. Those damn words almost cost Claudia about 3 fingers when the knife she was using to fix this sail that she was going to install on the small boat she made a month ago slipped from her grasp. Currently, she was sitting in said boat, moored on the shores of the lake where Ladylake sits. She turned her head and saw Rose leaning on her boat, her gaze fixed on her with a sly smile on her face. How did she creep up on her so quietly?

“Well?”

Claudia rolled her eyes and shook her head. It’s funny; she’s the one doing the courting but it’s everyone and their grandmothers who are more invested in it than she is. That’s not to say Claudia wasn’t invested; she really wants to be with Lailah. It’s just…she would like to take things a bit slow. Though, even she has to admit it’s slower than average considering it’s been nearly a year since she confessed to Lailah during the Sacred Blade Festival. But it’s not like she hasn’t gotten anywhere. She’s made remarkable progress if she may say so herself.

“Mother…I just don’t want to get ahead of myself.” She said as she put her knife in its scabbard by her hip before proceeding to tie the knots required to raise the sail. “I mean, I’m already lucky she allowed me to court her two months after the Sacred Blade Festival. Let’s try not to spook her off, shall we?”

Pulling hard at the rope, the sail was raised and Claudia’s small boat was completed.

“Yeah, well, slow and steady may win the race but women are impatient creatures.” Rose reminded her.

“You talk like you’re not a woman yourself, mother.” The young princess retorted as she checked if there’s anything else that required her attention before turning to her mother. “How did you do it? How WOULD you do it? If you had to win mother’s heart all over again?”

Claudia saw her hesitate for a moment and think carefully on her answer. After a moment, she responded.

“Well…first off, I had to leave your mother a lot when I was at this stage…being the Shepherd and all. I guess the fact that we missed each other so much while we were apart was enough to make us see how much we love each other that when I asked her to marry me, she said yes. Second of all, if I were in your position, I would…do what I can. Big gestures. Small gestures. Shower her with gifts. Anything to let her know I love her. I would take my time but…I wouldn’t go as slow as you are.”

“I’m not that slow.” Claudia defended herself, earning her a disbelieving look from the redhead. To be honest, after that little speech, she was in awe at the expressions Rose had as she described those days; she was hopelessly, truly in love with Alisha then…she was still hopelessly, truly in love with her now. It was clear that if Rose were in her position, she would pull all the stops to win Alisha’s heart. Of course, she still showers the blonde queen with gifts even now, just to show her love and appreciation for her. That’s what Claudia admired about her Mother Rose; that plain, unconditional love she has for Alisha. It was the kind of love and marriage she admired and hoped she could have in the future.

“Claudia, when did you confess and how old are you?”

“I’m 21 and I confessed during the Sacred Blade Festival. If you could call it that considering you let her read my journal.” She sarcastically quipped as she crossed her arms and leaned against the boat’s side.

“When’s your birthday?” She followed up. Claudia gave her a look; doing the math, she realized that she’s been courting Lailah for almost a year now and still hasn’t told her she loved her or discussed where their relationship is going. Her birthday is next month and a few months after that would be the Sacred Blade Festival. She turned 21 about a month after she ran away from home the previous year.

“Shut up.” Was the only reply she gave. Rose merely laughed her response off before speaking up.

“My point is…you’re turning 22. From here on out expect the pressure from the nobles regarding marriage. Your mother faced the same thing for about 6 years and it was…an annoying thing to see and I’ll admit, I was a bit jealous with the guys lining up asking to marry her. If you want a chance at marrying for love like she did, you might want to get a move on.”

She ruffled the young princess’ hair with a fond smile on her face and in that moment, Claudia felt like she was a child all over again, doing whatever she could to earn Alisha’s attention and Rose’s praise. Even if it was the stupid things that would nearly injure her. It was always shown by a pat on a head before she would mess her hair up.

“Well…try to be back before sundown. Alisha wants to spend time with you before dinner.”

“I will.” She said with a smile. Rose walked away to return to town after that while Claudia pushed her small boat onto the lake and hopped on, testing its capabilities. As she sailed in the lake, she thought back to Rose’s words. No matter how much she denied it, Rose was right. She has been a bit too slow in her…pitiful…efforts in courting Lailah. That being said, she has to up her game. Claudia stopped in the middle of the lake and let go of the sail, before grabbing her journal and started writing down her plans.

Now, if only she could pull these off and not make an ass out of herself while finding the perfect time to enact these plans. That would probably be a good idea.

* * *

**_Step 1: Get her a gift_ **

It was quite a normal day and Claudia was just staring out the window like she has been doing everyday for the past week as if she’s expecting something. The family was supposed to be having breakfast together but the youngest seemed to be having fun with her new past time. However, this time, Alisha was having none of it.

“Claudia, sunbeam, get off the window and eat. Whatever you’re waiting for isn’t going to show up with you just staring there.” She gently but sternly chided the young princess. Reluctantly, Claudia tore herself away from the window and sat next to her, digging into her breakfast.

“Now why does the window have your attention so much, sunbeam?” Rose asked with a teasing smile on her face.

“Felice or Talfryn.” Claudia plainly answered as she drank some tea. “I asked them to get me a rare book.

“Ayn Felice of the Sparrowfeathers to see you, Princess Claudia.” A maid announced. Claudia shot up immediately as Felice stuck her head through the door.

“Hi, boss! Queen Alisha!” She energetically greeted them.

“Speak of the devil.” The young princess commented before leaving the room.

“Well, she’s being secretive.” Rose commented in surprise. “And to get Felice to not inform me too. She’s up to something.”

Before Alisha could say anything else, Claudia walked in with a parcel on her hands.

“Bye, boss! Queen Alisha!” The merchant greeted as she left. The two queens looked to their child for an explanation.

“Sunbeam…what is this about?” Alisha asked, taking a cautious approach so as to not make Claudia feel cornered.

“I sent word to the Sparrowfeathers 2 weeks ago to get me a book on Ancient Avarost. As a gift for Lailah. She likes books anyways.”

‘Yeah…books that she can read.’ Rose thought to herself as her eyes gradually widened and she and her wife looked at one another with worry. In the past few months, Claudia has been doing well in her efforts, no matter how pathetic they may be. But now, Claudia was about to make a total ass of herself!

“Well, I’m off. See you both at training later.” The princess said as she kissed them both and hightailed away before they could say anything else.

“Should we tell her that Lailah can’t read Ancient Avarost?” The blonde asked her consort. Rose leaned back and thought about it for a moment; on one hand, telling her would spare her from certain embarrassment. On the other…she can learn from her mistakes and learn something about Lailah in the process. Not to mention it would be freakin’ hilarious to see her panicking about it. With that in mind, she responded with a mischievous smile.

“Nah!”

xxx

Claudia’s been wandering the Palace for about an hour now and still no sign of Lailah. She knows she’s around the Palace like always but…where? She arrived in library she only found Grimoirh and Bienfu.

“Hey, Claudia!” Bienfu greeted her enthusiastically, bringing a smile to her face.

“Hey…have you two seen Lailah?” She straightforwardly asked them as she held the parcel up.

“I saw her heading for the gardens earlier, Bien. What’s that you got there?” The normin asked. Both were privy of her courtship of Lailah and were actually interested to see how it develops; after all, romance between a human and a seraph? Unheard of! Bienfu was actually trying to help her in her way but…well…his ideas are less likely to win her Lailah’s heart and more liable to get herself a slap in the face.

“Oh this? A book on Ancient Avarost that I plan to gift to her.” She answered with a bashful smile. “Thanks for telling me where she is, though. Have fun with the library.”

With that, she walked away and Bienfu turned to his older companion with widened, panicky eyes.

“Wait a minute…Lailah’s only at least a thousand years old. Shouldn’t she be too young to know how to read Ancient Avarost?” He contemplated out loud.

“Correct.” Was Grim’s only answer, not once looking up from the book she was reading.

“Bieeeen! Shouldn’t we stop her?” He asked in a panic. Grimoirh thought about for a moment before turning to him.

“Let’s not. I’m actually rather interested to see how she would bounce back from this. It’s also a good mistake to learn from.” She answered nonchalantly before returning to her book.

“Bien…your teaching methods have only gotten harsher as the years went by.” Her companion dryly stated.

“I’m well aware.”

And she was proud of that.

xxx

Once again, Claudia found herself in the garden observing Lailah from afar. The fire seraph was merely seated on the ground, having recently released a paper crane origami to fly with the winds before enjoying the peace and serenity of the area. Cautiously, she approached until she was now standing behind her.

“Lailah?”

The Lady of the Lake turned and smiled upon seeing her. Things between them aren’t exactly bad since their first kiss during Emperor Lyte’s welcoming party a few months ago but things between them are stagnant and…if Claudia were to be frank…a bit awkward since then. Neither of them simply knew how to process what happened that night. This is the first time that they both fell in love after all. But simply put, Claudia had no idea how to take Lailah’s actions that night so neither of them spoke of it again.

“Oh! Hello, Claudia.” She greeted her as the young princess helped her up. Whether it was due to sheer nervousness or a lack of something to say, Claudia merely handed her the parcel.

“What is this?” Lailah asked as she took the package.

“A gift. I thought you’d like it.” She replied as she watched Lailah open it up. “It’s not much. Just a book on Ancient Avarost.”

Lailah stared at the book at the moment and turned her gaze to the young princess, who was waiting for a response from her. Then, Lailah sheepishly smiled at her. It was then that Claudia’s mistake dawned on her.

“Oh.”

How stupid could she have been? Assuming that Lailah can read Ancient Avarost? An absolutely dead language! It’s deader than her ancestors! Maotelus himself had to learn it from a 5000-year-old normin!

“Well…it’s a collectible, you can…keep it for yourself. Or…give it to Grim…or learn from Grim. Whatever you would like to do with it is fine.” She said with thinly veiled nervousness and embarrassment as she slowly backed away from the seraph. Never before in the months she’s been courting Lailah has she embarrassed herself this spectacularly. Lailah, however, gave her a serene and understanding smile before speaking. Truth be told, she didn’t find this blunder and Claudia’s embarrassment as something negative; her reaction was actually quite cute.

“Claudia, it’s-“   

“Yeah…actually, you know what, I need to go. Training. I’m expected.” The young princess cut her off before spinning around and walking away as fast as she could from the object of her affections, lest she embarrass herself even more.

xxx

“Why didn’t you stop me?” Claudia asked out loud as she swung her sword at Rose. The former assassin easily blocked it before hitting the young princess in the stomach with the hilt of her dagger.

“Well, we could’ve told you but you were in a hurry. Besides we hoped it would be a valuable lesson to you. And it’s hilarious.” The redhead answered as she entered a blade lock with Claudia. Immediately, Claudia separated their blades and walked a few meters away from her.

“Embarrassing myself? That’s supposed to be a valuable lesson?” She asked as she thrust her sword forward. Her attack was blocked by Rose and she brought her second dagger down, only for Claudia to block it with her sword as well. However, due to the distraction, Rose was able to sweep her off her feet with a simple swipe of the leg, making her fall on her back. The young princess groaned in pain before she sat up.

“Well, you can’t admit you didn’t learn anything.”

“Yeah, I learned you shouldn’t assume if she can read a dead language just because she’s a thousand years old.”

Rose thought about it for a moment before shrugging.

“Close enough. Look, you gotta really learn what she likes. Otherwise, you’re just gonna humiliate yourself even more.” The former assassin said as she helped her daughter up. Claudia sighed and conceded.

“You’re right.”

“If I were you, I’d find a way to fix this immediately. You just walked away from her after all. She’s gonna think you’re no longer interested or something like that.” Rose reminded her as she ruffled her hair.

“I think I’ll do just that.” She said as they walked back inside.

xxx

As the sun was starting to set on Ladylake, Hyland’s young princess was walking around the market, in search for an adequate gift to present to her lady love. Merchants were doing a last minute rush before closing down while citizens of Ladylake were doing their last minute shopping. Merchants, of course, took notice of her and were clamoring to show their best pieces to Queen Rose and Queen Alisha’s daughter. There was one, however, that stood out to her the most.

It was a tiara made of gold. It had an intricate flowing pattern and had rubies and sapphires embedded on the centerpiece. She had noticed that Lailah was pretty partial to tiaras and this one seemed to suit the Lady of the Lake well.

“I’ll take this.” She told the young shopekeep before paying her off and having her put it in a case. With her purchase in hand, she walked back home.

xxx

_Knock. Knock._

Lailah looked up from the Ancient Avarost book she was attempting to read. She had talked to Grimoirh earlier and the normin had agreed to teach her the language so she could read the book’s contents and maybe show Claudia that she doesn’t have to feel bad for getting her the book. The Lady of the Lake stood up and opened the door, revealing the young princess on the other side, with a sheepish smile on her face as she held a wooden lacquer box in her hands.

“Hi, Lailah…I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time but…may I come in?” She asked her with a shy but hopeful tone.

“Please come in!” She cheerfully said as she opened the door wider. The room was given to her by Alisha in the event that she wanted to stay in the Palace and not stay out in the city until the sun rises. The others, of course, have their own rooms in case they wanted to make a long term visit before going off on their own adventures.

“So, what brings you to-“

Lailah never got to finish that sentence seeing as how the moment she turned around, Claudia immediately handed her box she was holding.

“A gift. To make up for my blunder earlier. I realized too late that just because you’re a thousand years old doesn’t mean you can read a dead language and I really should stop bringing up your age, shouldn’t I? I’ll stop bringing it up.” She rambled on, not even allowing Lailah to get a word in, before stopping to take a breath and continuing. “Anyway, I saw this at the market and I thought it would suit you.”

Lailah giggled as she took the box from her hands. Claudia was normally the picture of confidence and someone her people can look up to around both the nobles and the common folk. But Lailah noticed that ever since that night of Emperor Lyte’s welcoming party, she’s been more skittish and nervous around her than usual. Rose and Alisha chalked it up to nerves since Lailah was the first person she’s shown any romantic interest in and upon further observation, it seems to be the case. Gone was the girl who would go around raising hell in the taverns and here now was a princess experiencing her first love and Lailah was honored to be that first love.

“Oh, Claudia…it’s beautiful. I love it!” She said with a smile as she opened the box and saw the gift within.

“You do? That’s great!” The young princess said with a wide smile on her face. She then took it from the box and perched it on Lailah’s head. Needless to say, Claudia was stunned by how well it fit Lailah. Just think; one day…when it’s her time to rule…this woman in front of her, more beautiful than any other she’s seen, could become her queen someday.

“You look…beautiful.” She whispered before she leaned in to kiss her forehead.

“Thank you, Claudia.” The Lady of the Lake replied as she savored the moment.

“I should go. I’m glad you liked it.” She said as they separated. Just as Claudia was about to open the door, she felt a tug on her sleeve and the moment she turned, she felt a chaste kiss on her lips.

“Good night, Claudia.” The fire seraph whispered to her. With a smile and a nod, she walked out the room and walked until she got to the next corridor.

That night, Rose spilled her tea on herself upon suddenly hearing a set of familiar whoops and shouts passing by her room.

* * *

**_Step 2: Impress her with your combat prowess (and if need be, defend her honor with said combat prowess)_ **

**One Month Later**

Exactly a month after that event, the entire palace was abuzz for most of the day. After all, it isn’t everyday that the country’s most precious jewel turns 22. For the morning and the afternoon, Claudia was bombarded by well wishes from her people while spending the day out with her parents and the seraphim. The evening, however, was reserved to pander to the nobles…both from Hyland and Rolance. So, here Claudia was, in one of the palace’s numerous gardens overlooking the lake. After sitting through numerous performances with her parents, Claudia was finally given free reign to wander about the grounds to greet people and drink. Well, mostly she was only drinking but she politely greets whoever comes her way with well wishes of course. She observed the people joining the festivities but more than anyone, Claudia was observing her lady love with a gentle smile on her face.

Lailah and the others, of course, were invited to the dinner and the festivities that followed. Now, she was merely conversing with Mikleo and Edna on the side, just past the performers who were having a mock quarterstaff match. Zaveid, unfortunately, had to duck out early. Something about going on an adventure that just can’t be put off anymore (though Claudia wonders just where he goes; it’s not like he hasn’t been around the entire continent already). Ever since that night when Claudia presented Lailah with a tiara, they’ve begun to regularly spend time once again with the noted absence of the young princess’ nervousness. Anyhow, it was nice to see that they were enjoying themselves. Even if it was in a pit of snakes like these nobles.

“Gald for your thoughts, Princess.”

Her smile was promptly wiped off her face when someone spoke. Looking at the newcomer, she saw it was a familiar face; dirty blonde hair, green eyes, a handsome face paired with a chiseled physique, and a totally fake smile. Yes…a mug she knew all too well…unfortunately.

“Prince Leon, pleased to see you’re enjoying yourself.” She said with perfectly practiced politeness.

“Spare me the pleasantries, Claudia. You and I both know we don’t exactly like each other.” He said as he kept his eyes on the view before him.

“Good thing we’re on the same page then.” Claudia remarked as she drank her wine. It was no secret to the entire country that Claudia and the Prince of Rolance (aptly named after his deceased uncle) were more likely to murder one another than to get along and work together as future leaders of their respective countries. It made the nobles from both their countries worry that if Prince Leon and Princess Claudia were to take their thrones, there could be another war on their hands. Claudia and Leon met when Claudia was being fostered by Sergei in Rolance and they got along quite swimmingly at first. However, Leon attempted to court Claudia months before she left and Claudia, with her feelings for Lailah, declined as politely and gently as she could. Unfortunately, Leon’s pride took a blow. He simply couldn’t comprehend it; he could have any woman he wanted, both noble and common, and yet here was the Princess of Hyland, rejecting his attempts at courtship. Things went downhill from there. However, Claudia wasn’t so petty as to actually cause serious harm to the Prince of Rolance. But if Leon were to someday wage war against her, then she would be given no choice but to act in the defense of her country. Not to mention his reasons would be incredibly petty. Who in their right mind would wage war against someone for being rejected?

“I must say…your mothers sure know how to throw a party. I never expected that weak Queen Alisha to last this long, however.”

“Careful…your words are unwise. Do not deign to speak of my mother that way _ever_ again or I will make you regret it.” She warned him through gritted teeth. Leon merely shrugged and drank his wine.

“I see the Lady Lailah has caught your eye.” He remarked. Oh, right…he was resonant too…joy. “I’ve heard rumors, Claudia. That you’re courting the Lady of the Lake. Is that why you rejected me?”

“You are treading very dangerous waters, Leon.” Claudia said, doing her best to contain her anger. She must’ve been releasing some negative emotions because she saw the three seraphim suddenly turn their eyes to her alarmingly.

“So, tell me, Princess; is she a good lay in bed? Does-does she meet every single one of your desires? Does being with a seraph make you feel powerful? I would LOVE to have an opportunity to bed the Lady of the Lake.”

Finally, Claudia snapped. Normally, she would beat the stuffing out of him like she used to do in the taverns. But this wasn’t a tavern; this was the palace where her parents would hold court. So, instead, she did the next best thing…

She shattered the glass she was currently holding, spilling wine on her white sleeve and attracting the guests’ attention. She had a few pieces of glass embedded on her hand. Thankfully, it wasn’t that painful and she can still clench it into a fist. Leon chuckled in amazement.

“Are-are you angry? At my comments?”

“Another word and I will punch your face in so hard even your mother won’t recognize that pretty boy mug of yours.” The young princess said as she looked him square in the eye. Leon, however, was unfazed and in fact, met her gaze equally.

“Alright. Let’s put words aside then. You know your way around a spear. The quarterstaff should be child’s play, right?” Leon asked as he held his hand out towards the two men with the staves. “Shall we?”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Claudia shed her long white coat and draped it on the nearby chair before taking one of the staves.

“Claudia, don’t do it!” Mikleo yelled after her. Everyone’s eyes were on them now.

“Leon, what madness is this?” A deep, gruff voice yelled out. Looking to the side, they saw that Emperor Lyte was watching them in shock with Rose and Alisha. His words fell on deaf ears as Leon continued to prepare himself.

“Stay out of this, Mikleo.” Claudia growled at the water seraph as she prepped herself. Leon lunged first, which she easily parried. He swiped to the left and she dodged the attack before kicking his hand away. Leon recovered easily and spun around, attempting to bring his staff down to hit her. Claudia was quick to act and met it with her own and brought it down before harshly poking him with her staff. He backed away to recover for a moment.

“You’re good, Claudia. I expected no less from someone who learned from Lady Maltran’s disciple.” Leon stated with a smirk.

“I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or an insult coming from you.” She retorted. Leon attacked once again by swiping his staff to the side before going for her feet, which she quickly backed away from. Claudia held her staff horizontally and tried to push him away but he merely hit her forearms before hitting her in the face with his staff’s rear end. He followed that up with a swing of his staff towards her back before calmly walking back to his prior position. Shocked gasps erupted from the audience. It’s not everyday a Prince from another country would be ballsy enough to hit the future Queen of Hyland, after all. That’s the type of stuff that sparks a war. Looking up, everyone saw how Claudia suddenly has a small, bleeding wound on her cheek, just below her left eye. Finally, Claudia attacked first and Leon parried her flurry of attacks. The prince raised his staff but Claudia hit him in the gut with her staff’s rear end. She struck his rib afterwards and then his thigh. Leon shoved her away to spare himself from another follow up.

“Give up?” The young princess taunted. Leon swung his staff at her but she easily parried it once again before he attempted to hit her rib. Claudia blocked the attack and forced his staff down before stomping on it and breaking it in two pieces. Returning the earlier favor, she shoved him away, making him step back. Leon took a step towards her and she did the same and it seemed like they were going to continue their fight until someone spoke up.

“Enough! Stop!”

At those words, Sergei and Edna stood in front of the young noble and stopped him in his tracks. Claudia looked around and saw that it was Lailah who spoke. Both royals walked away with Leon returning to his seat and Claudia retreating to her room.

xxx

_Slap._

Claudia’s head was thrown to the side when Alisha’s palm descended upon her face.

“I probably deserved that.” She said as she sat on the chair in front of her vanity.

“Do you realize how foolish your actions were earlier? You could’ve broken the peace that we have worked so hard for!” Alisha uncharacteristically yelled at her before pressing a wet rag to her cheek.

“He started it.” Claudia reminded her.

“I don’t care. You could’ve been the better person in the situation! Is this what your future as a Queen has in store? A potential war with Rolance! You would put our people through what your mother and I went through when we were young all over again?”

“He insulted you.” She plainly stated, cutting Alisha off from whatever it was she was going to say.

“He insulted you, called you weak and made crude comments about Lailah. I was not going to sit by and let him say that about you.”

Finally calming down, Alisha approached her and kneeled before her.

“Thank you for defending me, sunbeam…but…you shouldn’t words get to you. What matters is you know of my deeds. You know my deeds…and therefore, it is up to you to decide what kind of person I truly am. And if that’s what you believe, then that’s all that should matter.”

Alisha leaned up to kiss her child’s forehead just as a knock resounded on the door.

“Come in.” Claudia said. Rose walked in and approached them.

“It’s done. Emperor Lyte sends his apologies. Prince Leon has admitted to goading Claudia into fighting him.” She explained as she patted Claudia’s head. “But next time, be careful. Your actions reflect on Hyland and your mother.”

Claudia nodded once again and the redhead left a kiss on her temple.

“Come join us for the festivities once you’ve cleaned up.” Rose whispered to her as she took Alisha’s hand and they left the room. Claudia remained seated and cleaned her wounds. The bleeding on her cheek stopped but unfortunately, her shirt was stained with blood. She removed the shards of glass on her hand and cleaned it before wrapping it in a bandage like she was taught to do so. She took her shirt off and grabbed a new one just as another knock was heard.

“It’s open.” She said as she examined the nasty bruise on her back.

Claudia saw Lailah enter her room and her eyes settled on the half-naked princess before she averted them with a blush on her face.

“Oh jeez.” The blushing princess muttered to herself as she put her shirt on for some modesty. Claudia winced as her back hurt from Leon’s earlier hit in the area.

“Do you want me to use an arte?” Lailah asked as she put a hand on the bruise, making Claudia wince even more.

“No, it’s fine. They’ll pass.” She assured the seraph. Lailah stood in front of her and helped her button her shirt. The young princess blushed; she wasn’t exactly thin…in fact, she had quite the physique; her stomach was lean but the muscles weren’t exactly obvious. The reason she was blushing wasn’t because she was embarrassed of her physique but rather because she was nearly shirtless and only wearing a bra. Once her shirt was buttoned up, she grabbed a blue vest from her wardrobe.

“You can say it.”

“I’m sorry?” Lailah asked her in confusion.

“You can say it. It was stupid of me to allow him to get to me like that.” She elaborated stood in front of Lailah once more. “Do you know what happened? Why we fought?”

Lailah hesitated before nodding in confirmation.

“I was with Rose when Prince Leon confessed what he did to her and his father. So…I can’t say you were absolutely wrong. What scared me for a moment were the negative emotions you were emitting.”

The Lady of the Lake leaned to kiss her cheek, just below the cut Leon caused. Claudia closed her eyes and savored the feeling…but at the same time, she was kicking herself; she swore that she would not follow her ancestor in regards to her negative emotions. It’s what turned her into the first Lord of Calamity, after all. She said she would not follow her footsteps and she damn well will not.

“Thank you for defending my honor. But…please…don’t let your negative emotions rule over you.” She whispered before proceeding to wrap her arms around her torso. Claudia was surprised but returned the embrace in kind.

“I’ll make up for this, I promise.” The young princess vowed as she pressed her lips to the fire seraph’s temple.

“Dance with me? At the festivities.” Lailah requested with a gentle smile. Claudia nodded with a smile and grabbed a shiny blue coat to replace the white one stained with blood and wine before escorting Lailah back to the gardens. Guests bowed and curtsied before them as they walked to the dance area. The dance was a pretty laid back, fun and fast paced type so everyone had enjoyed the movements almost immediately. Claudia twirled Lailah three times, matching the fast pace of the music being played until she stopped and caught Lailah in her arms.

Both enjoyed their time together that night, the earlier event forgotten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rose is a good mom but she's also a mischievous mom. Also Claudia is easily provoked.
> 
> Fun fact: Prince Leon was supposed to be a cousin of Claudia named Louis but I thought Claudia having a rivalry with the Princes of Rolance would be a fun touch. Maybe it would lead to something else, maybe it won't...I don't know...;)


	2. Steps Three to Four

**_Step 3: Spend time with her_ **

The day after Claudia’s birthday celebration was a fairly different one. Probably because gifts were still trickling in from the nobles who were unable to make it to yesterday’s party. Claudia, however, didn’t care much for that and was rather pre-occupied with ways to make things up to Lailah for yesterday’s malevolence scare. She wandered out of the kitchen with a picnic basket in her hands, filled to the brim with fruits, meats, bread, cheeses, wine, and a picnic blanket.

“Sunbeam…where are you going with that basket?” A familiar voice asked her. Claudia turned and saw Alisha standing behind her with a small compilation of papers in her hands; no doubt reports and thing she has to sign.

“I’m taking Lailah out on a picnic. Have you seen her?” She answered honestly, seeing no point in lying to Alisha about her plans. Though she did feel a tinge of regret when her mother gave her a teasing smile.

“Well, I know Rose was pressuring you a bit and giving you advice in courting Lailah but I didn’t realize you would take her seriously.” She said, that teasing smile never leaving her face for a second. Claudia rolled her eyes in response.

“Well…she does kinda have a point.” She admitted as Alisha approached. The Queen cupped her cheek with a gentle smile on her face.

“Look at you…all grown up now. It’s like I turned around for a moment when you were just a baby and when I turned back around, you’re suddenly a 22 year old, courting a beautiful lady.” The Queen said as she gently traced her thumb over the day old wound her child’s cheek.

“Mother, stop…why are you being so sentimental all of a sudden?” The young princess asked her as she held her hand, her voice showing off her worry.

“Oh…don’t mind me, sunbeam. Lailah’s in the Sanctuary in town, speaking with Lord Uno.” She said before kissing her cheek and walking away.

“Thank you.” Claudia called after her before she started walking, eventually leaving Roundtabel Palace to go to the Sanctuary.

xxx

Claudia arrived at the Sanctuary just in time to spot Lailah walking out the door. Before she could call for her, she spotted a little girl holding a princessia and giving it to the Lady of the Lake. Lailah, of course, accepted the gift and watched as the girl ran back to her mother’s arms. Finally, she looked up and saw the waiting princess standing a bit of a ways from her. Claudia took that as a go signal to approach her.

“Good morning, Claudia.” She serenely greeted.

“Good morning. I…uh…was wondering if you would like to join me for a little picnic outside Ladylake for a moment.” Claudia said without preamble as she showed off the picnic basket. “We can go to where we had the picnic with my parents and the others yesterday but this time it’ll just be the two of us.” She added with a hopeful smile.

“I’d love to join you.” The Lady of the Lake answered as she took the princess’ hand. They both rushed to the stables and proceeded to ride out of Ladylake.

xxx

“So…Claudia, what suddenly brought this up?”

Claudia, who was reclining on her side, looked up from her wine glass to gaze at her companion, who was currently busy enjoying the view of Ladylake from the cliff they were currently having a picnic on. When she didn’t answer, Lailah turned her gaze towards her with a patient smile.

“I said yesterday that I’d make it up to you, didn’t I? Then you asked for a dance. I don’t know…I kinda felt like a dance wasn’t enough so here we are…” She bashfully answered as she tucked the princessia the little girl gave earlier into Lailah's hair. Lailah gave her that serene smile she was renowned for…a smile that Claudia never gets sick of. In fact, she falls even more and more in love with Lailah every time she sees it.

“It’s a lovely idea, Claudia. Thank you.” She said as she moved closer to the young princess. They held each others’ gazes for a moment and slowly, they started to lean into each other closer…and closer…and closer…close enough that their lips are only inches away from one another.

That was until they felt something run by them. The young princess crinkled her nose in confusion as she moved away from Lailah and leaned further back to see just what in the hell that was.

“Oh no.” She muttered.

Apparently, Trots-a-Lot got away and is now running wild around Lakehaven Heights. She noticed that Lailah was looking in the same direction as her before she looked back at Claudia.

“Excuse me.” The young princess said with an apologetic smile before bolting after the horse. She chased Trots-a-Lot as far as she could, jumping and vaulting over rocks and dodging trees that she nearly ran into. She spotted that there was a rope tangled on the pack that was tethered to the horse. The rope was slowly unraveling, giving Claudia something to hold on to and hopefully rein him in.

“Trots-a-Lot!” She yelled after him. He stopped and turned for a moment but upon seeing her, he took off once again. However, that was enough for Claudia to grab the rope. Once more, Trots-a-Lot slowed down upon feeling the tug. That didn’t last long, however, and he then continued running again. Claudia could only watch as the remains of the rope fully unraveled…

“Uh-oh.” She said before she was promptly dragged away by Trots-a-Lot through the area. It felt like an eternity that she was being dragged by Trots-a-Lot around that one area. Twigs and rocks are hitting her face and arms and her clothes are steadily being stained by dirt and mud. Finally, she managed to grab her knife from its scabbard and she twisted the rope around her other arm. The moment she stabbed the knife on the ground, she pulled on the rope, finally making the horse stop in his tracks. He seems to have finally have his fun as he was calm when she approached him and took him by the reigns.

“I gotta say…you know how to ruin someone’s date.” Claudia told him as she led him to the nearby stream. Tired and in pain, she dropped to her knees and looked at her appearance in the water. She was an ABSOLUTE mess; there are leaves and dirt on her hair, her forehead was bleeding, she had cuts on her face and hands, and her white shirt and black vest were stained with dirt and mud. There’s no getting around it; she is going to walk back to Lailah in embarrassment. Might as well make herself look semi-presentable. She washed her face with the stream water and removed the leaves and dirt from her hair. Every movement was painful. No doubt there are more bruises on her body other than the one Leon gave her yesterday. Once she was done, she dragged Trots-a-Lot away and started walking back to where they left Lailah behind. The Lady of the Lake was patiently waiting on their spot and when she turned around…whew…Claudia has never seen Lailah that surprised before.

“Oh my!”

An awkward silence emerged between them for a moment until Claudia released Trots-a-Lots’ reigns.

“I got him back!” She said with a wave of her hand. Unfortunately, the pain was finally too much and she collapsed on their blanket, with Trots-a-Lot trotting back to his fellow horse without a care in the world. He even slapped the young princess in the face with his tail for good measure. Wow…how embarrassing…outdone by her own horse of 7 years. She was having a nice view of the sky’s blue expanse when an even nicer view suddenly invaded her vision; Lailah was looking down on her with an amused smile on her face.

“Hi.” Claudia greeted her.

“Hello.” She greeted back. After a beat, they both giggled at the situation they’re in.

“I’m sorry. This really wasn’t how I was planning this day to go.” Claudia said with a wide smile. Lailah merely chuckled once more before cupping the princess’ cheek.

“I don’t mind.” She said before leaning down and pressing her lips against Claudia’s. After getting over the initial surprise, the princess managed to return the kiss before Lailah separated from her. The Lady of the Lake didn’t say anything else but simply laid her head on her shoulder and they enjoyed the silence the somewhat peaceful day afforded them.

Claudia needs to thank Sir Trots-a-Lot for this development with sugar cubes. Lots and lots of sugar cubes.

* * *

**_Step 4: Do an activity with her_ **

Claudia was walking down towards the shores of the lake where her boat was moored. It’s been about a few weeks since she’s gone sailing and she kinda wants the peace and quiet being in the middle of the lake affords her. Rose was true to her word; her 22nd birthday a month ago brought in the pressure of marriage on her. For the 3 times the noble council has met since her 22nd birthday, the topic of her marriage was always brought up, pressuring her to choose a husband from the stock of nobles from both Pendrago and Hyland. 3 times felt like 30 times instead with how adamant they were about the issue. They’re probably assuming that she wasn’t serious in her courtship of Lailah or they’re simply in denial about it. Regardless, she’s not exactly pleased with the council meetings as of late; she simply did not understand why they were in such a hurry.

“Claudia?”

The fact that someone suddenly spoke when she’s supposed to be alone startled Claudia enough that she fell in her boat face first and completely flipped over until her feet hit the other side of the boat. She bolted up to find the mystery speaker and saw Lailah standing a bit of a ways away from her boat.

“Oh…hello, Lailah.” She greeted her with a smile on her face. “Wha-What brings you by?”

Lailah gave her a melancholic look and approached her boat.

“I saw you earlier after the meet. You looked displeased. So much so you just passed by me.” She said as she reached out for Claudia’s hand, which the princess took.

“I’m sorry. It’s just…they’re pressuring me to marry again.” The princess answered with a small smile. Lailah’s breath was caught in her throat; Claudia was serious about her…that much is clear. But the ultimate question is; how long would this last? How far would Claudia take her courtship of her? Was she causing her trouble with their nobles? Would the nobles even approve of them if this becomes long term? Hyland would need an heir from her soon and not even Claudia, as crown princess, could hold that fact at bay forever. But as of the moment, so many questions were running through her mind; she wasn’t used to this. It was such a foreign feeling.

“Hey…let’s stop talking about this.” Claudia suddenly said as she held her face in her hands. “Join me for a sail?”

“Huh? I’m not sure...” She hesitantly said, earning her a chuckle from the blonde.

“Wait…is this a fire seraph thing? You’re a fire seraph…we’ll be out in the middle of the lake, that sort of thing?” She teasingly asked her. Needless to say, Lailah looked scandalized.

“Of course not. I’ll be happy to join you.” She said as she took Claudia’s hand and the princess helped her onto the boat. Claudia hopped out and slowly pushed the boat towards the water and she quickly hopped on yet again. She used the emergency oars the fishermen suggested she keep onboard to further push them out in the water. Once the wind picked up, she pulled on the rope that would unfurl the sails while managing the tiller at the same time. She kept at that comfortable pace while enjoying the equally comfortable silence with Lailah.

“So…Claudia…how did you learn how to build this?” The fire seraph asked her. Claudia cleared her throat before answering.

“Oh…one of my comrades in the Platinum Knights was a noble. His odd hobby when we were out of training was to build boats. Who knows what they were for considering Pendrago is in the middle of the continent. He taught me the basics and I observed him. Before I left, he gave me a book on boatbuilding as a gift since he saw how interested I was in it. I learned what I could from there and asked the local craftsmen for advice and I just did everything on my own from there. I’m honestly surprised this turned out as well as it did.”

“I see. You seem to be enjoying this hobby of yours and I can see why. It certainly beats going around fighting in taverns.” Lailah mused with a proud smile on her face. Claudia can only smile and nod in agreement.

“Well…yeah…this is pretty therapeutic. Especially after going toe to toe with those bickering nobles.” She replied. “Would you like to try your hand at it?”

The Lady of the Lake’s eyes widened in surprise and hesitated.

“Come closer. I’ll guide you.” She assured her. Lailah moved and sat in front of Claudia before looking to her for what to do next.

“Here, hold this rope in your right hand and the tiller on the other. Pull on the rope until the sheet stops ruffling and instead goes with the wind.” She gently explained. Unfortunately, a large gust of wind blew in and Lailah was too late in setting the sail.

“Why are we tipping over?” The fire seraph asked her.

“Because we’re capsizing.” Claudia hastily answered before she suddenly felt herself getting wet from the impact on the water. The wind was so strong that it capsized their boat. The pair emerged beside the boat and Claudia laughed, not even bothered that the fruit of her month long labor was currently facing side up and half submerged in the lake in all the wrong ways.

“I gotta say…you really are a fire seraph.” She teased as she wiped her hair away from her face. She laughed even more when she saw how Lailah looked like a drowned rat; her clothes were wet as expected but her normally divine hair was sticking to her face and floating all over the place. Lailah responded by splashing her face with water.

“Hey…now you’re a bona fide Lady of the Lake.” Claudia continued teasing with a wide smile before proceeding to swim away from Lailah’s water attack.

“Don’t tease.” Lailah said, her face betraying her words as they conveyed her enjoyment at their predicament. She proceeded to attempt to splash her with the water again but Claudia was a surprisingly fast swimmer.

“Whoa…I didn’t know you can be a water seraph too!” The princess said in faux amazement. Before Lailah could attack again, she swam towards her and wrapped her arms around her waist and proceeded to spin as fast as she could in the water. It made her dizzy but hearing Lailah’s laughs of enjoyment made it all worth it. Finally, she stopped and Lailah turned, wrapping her arms around her neck in the process.

“Did you enjoy sailing?” Claudia asked her.

“I’d like to avoid getting wet next time but…yes, it was quite enjoyable.” The Lady of the Lake admitted with a wide smile.

“I’m glad. I better get the boat upright so we can head back.” She said as she moved the boat and forced it back upright. They both got on once more and with the sail incredibly wait, the princess had to choice but to use the oars she, thankfully, managed to retrieve.

“The sun is setting.” Lailah pointed out as she sat on the other side of the boat.

Indeed, the sun was setting, the light from the sun reflecting perfectly on the lake and making it seem as if it were made of gold. Its rays, however, just so happened to land on Lailah. In Claudia’s eyes, that made her even more stunning than she already is. If angels were real…if they were as beautiful as the books and scriptures say…then none of them could ever hold a candle to Lailah’s beauty in her eyes. How lucky was she to be given such an opportunity to pursue such a beautiful and kind-hearted seraph?

It’s these little moments that make whatever blunders that happen worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Claudia pls. 
> 
> Anyways, under the suggestion of my boyfriend, I have decided to post the first two chapters of this story. The last two will come at some point in the month. Enjoy! :D


	3. Steps Five to Six

**_Step 5: Go on a trip_ **

“I have had enough! I’m so sick of this!”

The entire castle almost erupted into chaos upon hearing the Crown Princess of Hyland scream bloody murder. The two queens, who were walking together nearby, heard the sudden yelling and promptly rushed to their daughter’s room. What they found was a bit of a shock to them.

“Claudia, what the hell is going on?” Rose asked, half out of worry and half out of frustration for having her time with her wife suddenly interrupted by their raging daughter. The three of them had recently returned from a council meeting and as always, the topic on the tail end of the meet had upset their daughter. The council meetings almost always upset Claudia anyway, whether it was due to the topic or due to her noise sensitivity so there wasn’t exactly something new there. However, this was the first time that a council meeting has driven her to packing her things.

“Where are you going?” The redhead followed up when her first question wasn’t answered.

“I...am going to Pendrago to relax. And maybe get away from the council and their insistence of marriage.” The blonde princess responded as she proceeded to stuff clothes and gald onto a single pack.

“Pendrago? That’s too far off. You know the bandit attacks are becoming more frequent lately.” Alisha spoke up out of worry.

“You seem to forget I ran away for 6 months.” She dryly retorted.

“Why Pendrago? You can always just relax here.” The blonde queen tried to remind her.

“I could...but there’s always a noble trying to stop me in the streets. Not even sailing can help me relax anymore since the noble men seem to be jockeying for my affection by following me out to the lake as well. Plus Pendrago has a sweet sauna.” Claudia said as she sat on her bed and rubbed her face in frustration. She looked more exhausted than they have ever seen her. Claudia will learn to hide her exhaustion in time like they have but...she’s not a queen yet...and therefore, she has no need to do so.

“Why are they doing this? They know I have my eyes set on Lailah yet they still insist that I choose someone to marry.”

Alisha could only approach her and lay a hand on her arm in sympathy. After all, she was the one who was once in her position so she was the best candidate to sympathize with her. Unfortunately for her daughter, neither her parents had an answer to her question that she didn’t already know.

“You already know why.” Rose said as she sat on the chair opposite the bed. “The council doesn’t exactly approve of you courting a seraph. They’re starting to see Lailah as a threat to their way to power.”

“I don’t need their approval.” Claudia said as she bolted up and started pacing around as she ran her hands through her hair. “I’m going to be queen someday. They’ll obey ME. I don’t obey them. And yet, they seem to think otherwise.”

“Claudia...tell us something...are you serious about Lailah? Like...long term serious? Are you...planning to ask her to marry you, someday?”

“Of course I do. Why do you think I’ve been trying to spend so much time with her recently?” She plainly replied. “Not now, though...maybe in...2 or 3 years.”

Well, that answered their question. But they still worried; there were so many factors that could go wrong. Should they marry, there’s the issue of an heir. Can they even provide one? Another would be their nobles. While they wouldn’t outright disobey their sovereign, they could become even more difficult to deal with. The last would be the nature of the relationship in itself. There’s got to be some line a romance between a human and a seraph cannot cross!

“Sunbeam, if you really need to get away, then...we’re not gonna stop you.” Alisha conceded as she shook those prior thoughts away. Claudia needed the trip, anyway. Besides, it could serve as a reward for suffering through the numerous council meetings she’s already attended.

“Thank you. Look if it makes you feel any better, I’ll ask Lailah if she wants to come with so we can spend some time together as well.” The princess bargained with them. “We’ll be back in a week, tops.”

“Just stay safe, okay?” Rose said before she kissed her daughter’s forehead. With a smile, Claudia nodded before she swung her sword across her shoulders. Alisha draped a half-cape on Claudia’s shoulders and kissed her cheek before she grabbed her pack.

“See you guys in a week.” She said as she walked out the door and started her search for Lailah.

xxx

It didn’t take long for Claudia to find the object of her affections. In fact, she just ran into her in the next corridor over.

“Oh, Claudia! Are you going somewhere?”

“Yes, I am. I’m going to Pendrago to get away from the bevy of nobles swarming me as of late.” She replied with a smile.

“Is that why Edna said she saw you hiding in a tree… _tree_ days ago?” She asked with a mischievous smile. Claudia had to shake that pun off her head for a moment. Lailah knows how much she hates puns so she refrained from doing so around her but when she sees an opportunity, she doesn’t let it slip past her.

“Shit pun aside, yes. I was hiding from the persistent noblemen for awhile and Edna was…passing by. Anyways, would you like to come with me to Pendrago? We’ll be back in a week. Only if you’re not busy doing anything else or learning Ancient Avarost from Grimoirh, of course, I hear she’s a very strict teacher.” Claudia said with an excited smile. Who knows how Maotelus survived that normin as a child; she is very strict according to Bienfu.

“Well I do miss the saunas of Pendrago. I would love to come with you, Claudia.” She giddily said. Claudia gave her a wide smile.

“Great. I’ll get us some horses and I’ll meet you in a few minutes. It’ll be fun. I guarantee it.”  

The princess gave her a kiss on her cheek and excitedly ran out of the palace, eager at the time she’ll be spending with her lady love.

It’ll be fun.

xxx

It is NOT that fun.

Currently, Claudia was sitting in the hot spring at Pendrago’s inn. They rode out of Ladylake and kept going for most of the day prior. They stopped at Lastonbell to rest for the night before going to Pendrago, arriving just in time for night to fall once more. The moment they arrived Claudia booked two separate rooms (without Lailah’s knowledge) and they decided to hit sauna. Up until this point, Claudia thought they were having fun. Though, now she realized she’s probably boring the crap out of Lailah. Even though they’ve talked about almost anything and everything under the sun during their trip here. However, there was something else that suddenly sent Claudia’s brain into a tizzy…

“Claudia?”

…and that was seeing Lailah with nothing but a towel on. She squeaked and slowly looked up. Indeed, Lailah was entering the bath with nothing but a towel on while her long hair bundled up under another. The young princess submerged half her face in the water in order to hide the blush. This was a bad idea. This was definitely a bad idea. What was she thinking inviting Lailah to a hot spring? Taking a swim on the lake with her was one thing…bathing with her while she’s wearing nothing but a towel was an entirely different discussion altogether.

“Claudia, are you alright?” Lailah finally asked from across her after noticing her unusual silence.

“Yes.” Claudia squeaked out before slapping her hand in her mouth. She didn’t SAY that; she SQUEAKED it like a little mouse. Claudia looked away from her, taking glances every once in a while. There’s got to be some sort of line she’s crossing in the etiquette of courtship here. Claudia now realizes her mistake; she got too cocky thinking this will just be a normal outing.

‘I gotta get out of here.’ She decided to herself. But first…to act cool. Emphasis on ‘act’. She turned back to Lailah with a small smile.

“Uh…Lailah…you know what…I…uh…” Damn, she’s failing at this. “I think I’m gonna get out now. Leave you to enjoy the bath to yourself.” Claudia said as she got out of the bath and stepped out into the polished floor, wearing nothing but a towel like her companion.

“Oh, are you sure?” The Lady of the Lake asked in concern as she hastily stood up. Unfortunately for her, her towel chose that right moment to unravel. Time suddenly slowed down for Claudia as she was suddenly shocked by what happened. Unfortunately, once again, since she was so shocked, she slipped on the polished floor, hit her face on the edge of the bath, fell back in and sank like a rock in the middle of the pool.

Normally, Lailah wouldn’t worry about Claudia since she was an excellent swimmer…but when the water suddenly turned red from where she sank, that’s when she became concerned. Putting her fallen towel back around her (securely this time), she approached and pulled her out.

“Claudia? Are you-oh my…”

Whether the blood from Claudia’s nose was due to her hitting the edge of the bath or her form of perverted arousal, neither of them will ever know.

xxx

“I am so sorry.” Claudia muttered as Lailah helped her get back to her own room. Both were now clothed once again…well, as clothed as Lailah can get since she was only wearing the inn’s provided bathrobe. Claudia was wearing her usual nightwear of a black drawstring shirt, loose pants, and socks.

“It’s quite alright, Claudia. You were pretty cute, blushing and being all embarrassed like that.” She teasingly said as she pinched the young princess’ cheek before keeping her arm around her shoulders.

“Please don’t tease. I think I’ve made a fool of myself enough for one night.” She pleaded as they stopped in front of their rooms. “I should turn in for the night…I…uh…made sure our rooms are just across one another.”

Lailah was a bit surprised by tonight’s sleeping arrangements so she rushed to explain it.

“Oh, don’t get me wrong, I love spending time with you but…for decency’s sake, I thought it best that we stay in different rooms. Not to mention there are still nobles here who gossip to nobles in Hyland. I’d rather not put you in the line of fire with them anymore than I already have.”

As she expected, Lailah gave her a kind and understanding smile.

“I understand, Claudia. Good night.” She replied before leaning to kiss the girl’s cheek.

“Good night, Lailah.” She replied as Lailah entered her room and Claudia to hers. With a large groan, she collapsed on her bed and held the pillow close to her face as she thought back to what just happened to her.

This is one blunder she would rather forget.

* * *

  ** _Step 6: Lay down your life for her if need be (hopefully, you won’t ever have to)_**

The week passed and with its ending, their little impromptu vacation came to an end as well.

“So, did you enjoy going to Pendrago with me? Even with what happened during the first night?” Claudia asked her seraph companion as they rode through the Falkewin Hillside.

“Yes, I did. I had so much fun seeing Pendrago after a while again. It was nice seeing Morgrim as well.” She replied with a happy smile on her face. The rest of the week was spent touring around town as expected. Claudia even brought her to the Shepherd’s Rest to pay respects to her ancestors and show her the marker she made for Velvet. As per the Pope’s promise, the marker was still there and untouched but clearly being regularly taken care of by the custodians. Thankfully, no further mishaps occurred other than the first night from then on and they really did enjoy their time together.

“Well, I’m glad you did. It’s a bit disappointing that we have to go back now.”

“We had to come back at some point, Claudia.” Lailah said in an attempt to comfort her. “I’m sure you can handle things now though. The trip rejuvenated your spirit, after all!”

The princess was half tempted to tell her that that’s not really how saunas and hot springs work but she looked like she was having a whale of a time and decided to leave it be. Seeing something form the corner of her eye made her stop in her tracks and Lailah did the same.

“Claudia, wha-“

She signaled for her to be quiet before dismounting her horse and continued her observation. Rose’s training has never failed her before, after all. Strange…not much wind…and yet…the tree leaves and bushes rustling so much. She was also hearing footsteps…fast ones…and figures in black were darting all over her peripheral vision. Finally, as if they’ve finally had enough, they revealed themselves by landing in front of them. They were familiar faces and out of alarm, she unsheathed her sword and pointed it at them.

“I know you…you’re the guys who gave me this scar by my eye months ago.” She stated as she continued to observe them. Lailah knew of the scar; it’s faded now but under the correct lighting you can still see it. There was one in her abdominal area too, as faded as the one by her eye.

“Damn straight we are, princess. And we’re here to get back at ‘ya for humiliatin’ us.” The leader said with a grin.

“Claudia, these are the people who attacked you? From back then?” Lailah asked in worry as she took her papers out.

“Unfortunately. I warned them off before.” She responded as she kept her defense up.

“Uh…boss…I think this gal’s got a few screws loose in her head.”

“Quiet. She has a seraph with her.” The boss said and Claudia’s eyes widened in surprise that this bandit leader was resonant.

“Well, that’s new.” She muttered before regaining her composure.

“I told you before…next time you come after me, I’ll make sure to kill you.” Claudia reminded them, pretending not to hear Lailah’s shocked gasp. Lailah, on the other hand, worried; Claudia keeps her word most of the time so if she made a vow like that, she WILL deliver.

“Guess we’ll just have to see which one of us is the quickest with the sword then, Princess.” The boss said, keeping that grin of his on his lips. Claudia remained silent and instead, did something that none of them, not even Lailah, expected.

“GET OUT OF HERE! GO!”

She slapped Trots-a-Lot’s and Lailah’s horse’s rear and both took off running. With a slap like that, Claudia knew that neither would stop until they got to a distance their instincts deem safe.

“AAAAHHHHH!”

The scarred bandit attacked and Claudia met his sword with a block before punching his face and kicking him away. The other bandit swung his sword at her and she easily blocked, dodged and slashed his back. The bandit leader tried to stab her but she merely caught the arm in her hand before swiping him off his feet. The bandit she injured attacked once more but he was too weak thanks to his injury and it gave Claudia an easy kill when she drove her sword through his stomach. His blood stained her hands and her clothing. However, her distraction gave the scarred bandit enough time to attack; the moment she turned around, she felt something sharp invade her body where her abdominal scar was. However, she didn’t feel any pain but rather she pushed him away and blocked his sword as she pulled out the dagger from her stomach. He and the leader simultaneously attacked but she blocked them with sword and dagger, respectively. Claudia pushed the scarred bandit away before slashing the bandit leader’s leg with her sword, making him cry out in pain and falling to his side as he clutched the wound. The scarred bandit attacked once more but she stabbed him in the stomach with his own dagger before he could see it coming. In his shock, he slowly backed away and fell on his back as he clutched his wound. Claudia slowly approached him and drove her sword through his throat and…as much as she hated to admit it…she enjoyed hearing him gurgle and try to beg for mercy as he drowned in his own blood.

“YOU BASTARD!”

Before she knew it, Claudia was suddenly tackled and the bandit leader was slamming her to the ground in his anger. Claudia was winded and her ears were ringing. However, she upon seeing her sword, she quickly snapped out of it and when the leader was about to punch her, she moved her head, making him punch the ground instead. She put him in a chokehold before kneeing him in the crotch and switching their positions and punching him in the face once. She scrambled to her feet and grabbed her sword and turned to block him in time. She kicked the wound she made on his leg and made him fall. The bandit leader slowly backed away and held his hands out.

“Please…Princess Claudia! Mercy!” He pleaded with her. Claudia shook her head in refusal.

“Sorry…but I told you months ago that I would kill you if came after me again…what kind of a Queen would I be if I don’t keep my word?” She asked him before she raised her sword above her head.

“No, Milady! Please!” He screamed…and then he was silent as Claudia brought her sword down and cut him deep across his body. Claudia’s took deep breaths as she walked across the now blood stained field. These three men…she killed them…this was the first time she ever killed and she wasn’t sure how to feel or if she even did the right thing.

“It’s okay, Claudia…it’s okay.” She said as she cupped her ears in an effort to keep the ringing out, not once letting go of her sword.

“It’s okay…it’s okay…it was self-defense…they were going to kill you…they would’ve killed others if you didn’t kill them. It was them or you, Claudia. Them or you. It was your people and the people of Rolance or them” She muttered to herself. Claudia turned around and saw Lailah standing there, shocked at the carnage she single-handedly created. They stood and stared at one another for a moment. The young princess was thoroughly surprised that instead of fear, she saw relief in Lailah’s face. Before she could approach, however, she felt sick out of nowhere and Lailah was pointing to her ear. The bloodstains in Claudia’s hands were now dry but when she put them to her ear…her fingers were coated in fresh blood.

“Oh…”

And if that wasn’t bad enough, she was starting to feel her stab wound as well. Claudia’s sword slipped through her fingers and she collapsed to the ground as her vision was slowly fading to black.

“Claudia! Stay with me, Claudia! Please!” She heard Lailah as she felt her use her healing artes on her. She raised her hand and gently cupped Lailah’s cheek; there are just some things healing artes can’t fix and maybe this was just one of them so…she wanted to touch Lailah one last time. Just in case. Claudia heard hooves in the distance as she was slipping in and out of consciousness. Hopefully, that was the Hyland soldiers on patrol, here to bring her broken body home, and not another bevy of bandits.

“Lailah…” She whispered and Lailah looked at her. “I love you.”

The last thing she saw was Lailah’s tear and blood stained face before letting the darkness swallow her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Umm...please don't kill me? Advanced Merry Christmas? :D
> 
> Worry not, before you guys send a mob after me, I am working on the last chapter. Will Claudia survive? Or will this be the end of our favorite OC? Find out in the next episode of Dragonball-//slapped
> 
> Find out in the next chapter. :D


	4. Proven

_“Claudia!”_

_“…don’t know what happened…”_

_“We’re losing…”_

_“Stay with me!”_

Claudia woke to a start and when she felt hands holding her down and restraining her, she started squirming and fighting against them in a panic.

“Claudia, hey, hey, it’s me! It’s Mikleo!” One of the people restraining her yelled. Finally, Claudia stopped fighting back and they slowly let her go.

“Look at you…you’ve gone and re-opened your wound, dummy.” Another person said next to her. Turning her head, she saw Edna sitting next to her, applying another healing arte and replacing the bandage on her stomach. How did she lift her shirt without her noticing?

“I gotta say…those bandits really did a number on you, squirt.” A deep, gruff voice stated by the foot of her bed; Zaveid. “Not even healing artes can completely seal that wound of yours. It’s a miracle enough that our combined efforts with a doctor managed to stop the bleeding in your brain. It’s why you were bleeding in the ear when Lailah found you.”

Claudia groaned in pain as she fell back on her bed only to spring up again when her door slammed open.

“Claudia, you’re awake! Thank the Empyreans!” Alisha said as she power walked over to embrace her child as she cried. Rose rounded to the side of the bed and sat beside her.

“Mothers…what…how long was I out?” She asked them in wonder as she tried to sit without aggravating her wound any further. She accepted the cup of water Mikleo handed her and hastily drank it.

“A week. In case you were wondering, Ian and Shiller were on patrol with several others when they ran into Trots-a-Lot and Lailah. When they got the horses to settle down, Lailah immediately went back for you on a different horse because hers won’t go back there. That’s when she found you.” Rose explained as she ran her fingers through her daughter’s hair. With her wife being a sobbing mess out of relief for their daughter’s safety, it fell to her to keep her composure and answer every question their daughter would ask.

“Lailah…where…where is she?” Claudia finally asked. She had no doubt that she was releasing malevolence after their fight and that most likely scared Lailah away. Claudia wanted to at least apologize for that before she…you know…stayed away from her for the rest of her short lifespan.

“She’s…in Elysia. Taking a break.” Mikleo glumly answered. Claudia bit the inside of her cheek as she processed his words; ‘taking a break’. Great…that’s probably code for ‘she never wants to see you again’. And can she really blame Lailah? Even she’s not sure if she can look at herself in a mirror after she killed those bandits like she was a bloodthirsty savage. If she wasn’t releasing malevolence then it was probably Claudia’s lack of morals that scared her off.

“I…see.” She said in resignation. “Was I releasing malevolence…when she found me?”

“She didn’t say anything.” Zaveid answered with a shrug before he patted her shoulder. “Get some rest, kid. We’ll tell Lailah you’re awake and alright.”

“Do you want us to send her here when we do?” Edna asked her as she gently patted Claudia’s hand but Claudia shook her head.

“I want her to come back…when she’s ready.” She answered with a small smile. With a nod, the seraphim walked out of her room, wishing her a speedy recovery.

“We’re so glad you’re alright, sunbeam.” Rose said as she embraced Claudia. Claudia eagerly returned it and both queens noticed their daughter shaking like a leaf.

“Sunbeam…what’s wrong?” Alisha asked out of concern. Was it another seizure? Claudia was getting those due to her head injury while she was out so could it be another attack?

“I…I killed them. I slaughtered them like they were animals and I enjoyed it for a moment. It wasn’t just for self-defense or to protect Lailah but…I actually enjoyed it for a moment.” She answered in between sobs. Both mothers held her close to them; Claudia grew up never experiencing killing another person like Rose did, so it was understandable that she’s scared that she’s becoming a horrible person.

“Hey…hey…listen to me. I know what you’re thinking.” Rose said as she held Claudia by her shoulders. She wiped her tears away and continued to speak.

“I know you think you’re a horrible person but you’re not. I want to say that you’ll never draw your sword again or that you won’t kill but I can’t. I can’t promise you that. Empyreans willing you’ll never have to draw your blade in battle but I did and your mother did and that doesn’t make us horrible people. So long as you know what it was for and you know it was for the right reasons…then you’ll be alright. That I can promise you.”

Rose leaned in to kiss her forehead and Alisha did the same afterwards. It brought great comfort to the girl, who was extremely frightened of her own actions.

“Stay here with Alisha. I’ll get you some food.” The redhead said with finality as she walked out of the room.

“It’ll be alright, sunbeam. Mother will make sure of it.” Alisha whispered to her as she held Claudia close to her breast. Claudia, on the other hand, wrapped her arms around her waist as she took in the warm and caring aura Alisha was exuding.

And for a moment, her mother’s loving embrace was all she needed.

* * *

Another week passed and not once did Claudia see Lailah in the palace. Edna returned the other day and told her that the Lady of the Lake was still in Elysia, thinking some things over and she accepted that fact. She knew that she can’t force Lailah to come back so…what would be the point? Night has descended upon Ladylake once again and after a quiet evening, Claudia sat on her desk, dressed to turn in for the night but still writing on her journal. She had almost forgotten about these steps she made to show Lailah her love; it’s funny…all that’s happened in the past few months fit her criteria perfectly and she only realized that now. Claudia made entries on how they all turned out with the intention of forgetting them all once again when she’s finished. It doesn’t matter anymore anyway; Lailah probably never wants to see her again after all. Once she was done, she stood up, before hissing in pain and clutching her wound. Walking to the mirror, she lifted her shirt up; just as expected, her scar of a single line was now an x-shaped mark forever marring her skin. It hasn’t reopened, thankfully but it still hurt. Just as she was about to turn in for the night, she heard a knock on the door but before she could even say ‘come in’, the person knocking quickly barged in her room and closed and locked the door.

It was Lailah. And she did not look like she was happy.

“You’re awake! That’s great. Well, now that you’re up and about, I have a few things to say to you.” She said before pausing, as if she was waiting for a signal from Claudia that will allow her to keep talking. However, as the young princess was too stunned to even speak, she continued after a second.

“I have lived for a thousand years. A thousand years…and then you come barging into my life like it’s nothing.” She rambled. Claudia opened her mouth to interject but Lailah merely held a finger up, effectively silencing her. This is ridiculous; she felt like she was a child being scolded by a schoolteacher.

“I’m not finished. I lived for a thousand years and all of a sudden, you barged into my life. I watched you grow and I didn’t realize that things between us would even happen. But it did. Now I’m feeling things that I have never felt before. And it scares and confuses me. I went to Elysia three days after your attack because I couldn’t stand watching you slip in and out of consciousness. I couldn’t stand seeing your body shaking due to a seizure, and I certainly couldn’t stand hearing the doctor tell us again and again and again that your heart stopped for a few seconds and that he was lucky that he managed to revive you. Three days and the doctor told us that 5 times. What would we have done if he couldn't revive you? I have never felt that kind of fear in my life! I have never felt these feelings in my life! It’s a miracle I didn’t even turn into a dragon when I was in Elysia, being tortured by the thoughts of your current state of being. Imagine my relief when Zaveid and the others told me that you were finally awake. So, I asked the seraphim in Elysia if it’s possible for a human and seraph to be together. You know what they told me? They said for the seraph’s safety, it shouldn’t happen! There were no records and yet, they already think it shouldn’t happen! And if that’s not bad enough, your nobles seem to think the same and it’s already causing enough trouble for you, Alisha and Rose! It broke my heart to think that what we have is basically forbidden. I have never felt these feelings in my thousand years of existence and yet, I don’t care if what we have is forbidden when I should! So, I’m going to ask you…why? Why did you do it? Why did you send me away when I could’ve helped? Everything you’ve done for me these past few months, why did you do it?”

Once she’s voiced her questions, Lailah suddenly started crying as she slowly sat on Claudia’s bed. Claudia’s heart broke upon hearing her sobs. Had she known her reckless actions would lead to the love of her life crying like this, she would’ve thought them through even better. Rubbing her face out of habit, she walked to her desk, grabbed her journal and gave them to her. For a moment, Lailah stopped crying and took it. She opened it up to where the string bookmark is and read it as she sobbed. The first entry was dated months ago but the rest were dated to this very day.

_“Step 1: Get her a gift_

_My dumb ass got her the wrong gift. Why did I get her a book on Ancient Avarost? I should’ve known she couldn’t read it. Maotelus had to learn it from Grimoirh! I embarrassed myself! Made up for it by getting her a nice tiara at the market today. It was expensive but…seeing it suit her perfectly and seeing her smile as she said “It’s beautiful”…it was worth it._

_Step 2: Show off your combat prowess (and if need be, defend her honor with said combat prowess)_

_Leon provoked me on my birthday of all days by saying crude things about Lailah and insulting my mother. I wasn’t expecting this step to actually happen but it did. She thanked me for it. Hopefully, when the time comes, I can reveal to her what’s written here. And hopefully, she won’t think me stupid for even doing these things._

_Step 3: Spend time with her_

_Went with Lailah on a picnic. Trots-a-Lot got away. Didn’t realize I’ve been doing these steps without my knowledge simply because I forgot about this journal for a few months. We kissed after I got Trots-a-Lot back so I think I did good._

_Step 4: Do an activity with her_

_Lailah and I went sailing on the lake. I let her try manning my boat but we capsized. It was still fun and it was hilarious to see a fire seraph so out of her element (did I just make a pun? I hope not) swimming in that lake. I managed to put the boat back upright and when we got back on, the sun was setting. The light reflected off the lake just right to make it look as if it was made of gold…but the most beautiful sight there was Lailah; seeing the sun’s rays shine down on her made her look like an angel from the heavens. I hope I get to see that sight again. Someday._

_Step 5: Go on a trip_

_I was honestly planning to go to Pendrago alone but to alleviate my mothers’ fears, I let Lailah come with. We had fun in the town. Bad idea going on the hot spring with her though; I couldn’t stand seeing her in nothing but a towel. I was probably crossing some sort of line there. I tried to get out but then she stood up. And her towel fell. And then I slipped. And then I fell. I don’t know where the nosebleed came from but hopefully it’s from the fall._

_Step 6: Lay down your life for her if need be (hopefully, you won’t ever have to)_

_Congratulations, genius! This worked out way too well but with the opposite effect. She probably hates you now. Goodbye.”_

“Now, do you know why?” Claudia asked as she kneeled before the Lady of the Lake. Lailah looked up at her as she closed the journal and set it beside her.

“Because I wanted to prove to you I love you. I told you just before I passed out that I love you. I didn’t think I would actually accomplish them. I didn’t even realize that I did it until tonight. Mother Rose kept pressuring me to be more assertive in courting you…but I didn’t know what to do so I thought of all these…steps.” She explained as she held Lailah’s hands.

“If you hate me now and you want to stop pursuing you, I’ll understand. But I am so sorry for scaring you. For making you feel the way you did.”

Claudia stood up and as did Lailah but before the young princess could say anything else, Lailah pressed her lips to hers. It wasn’t gentle or chaste like she used to give but rather, this kiss was hungry, desperate, passionate…as if she’s trying to make sure that Claudia was still here and alive. Immediately, she held Lailah’s face in her hands and returned the kiss with equal passion and fervor. The need to breathe finally came and they separated. Lailah laid her head on Claudia’s shoulder as her hands roamed the princess’ body until she found her mark; her scar on her stomach.

“You never had to prove anything to me. I only realized this recently…but I love you. I’ve loved you a long time ago.” Lailah whispered to her as they held each other close.

“I love you too…so much.”

Lailah raised her head to look at her and Claudia wiped her tears away with her thumb.

“Stay with me. Tonight.” The Lady of the Lake requested of her. Claudia nodded and pressed her lips to her forehead.

“I will always stay with you.” Claudia wholeheartedly vowed.

They kissed once more, but this time it was a gentle and loving one as opposed to their earlier kiss. All those months of not being able to say ‘I love you’ to one another…that one week when Claudia was on death’s doorstep…all that was forgotten and resolved with this one kiss.

When they separated, Lailah took her by the hand and had her lie under her covers before snuggling up to her and wrapping her arms around her waist.

“When I’m ready…when it’s the right time…when my mothers allow it…I WILL ask you to marry me. And until then, I’ll pray to the Empyreans you’ll say yes.” Claudia lovingly whispered to her as she ran her fingers through her long and luscious hair. When Lailah raised her head from Claudia’s chest to look at her, she returned that loving gaze the young princess of Hyland was giving her.

“I know you will…and I think I know my answer as well.” The Lady of the Lake replied with a loving smile.

“I love you.” The young princess whispered as she held her love’s hand close to her.

“And I love you.” Lailah replied before leaning up to peck her lips. The Lady of the Lake laid her head on her lover’s chest once more and the Princess gently wrapped her arms around her before they fell asleep. Before sleep consumed her, however…Claudia smiled as she thought of one thing…

She finally got the girl. And for now, she’s content to merely dream about what their future will be like, knowing she’ll get to live it someday.

For now, though, sleep.  Sleep is good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MERRY CHRISTMAS MY LOVELY READERS! 
> 
> You...you guys didn't really think I'd kill Claudia off now did I? No! That comes at a later story...just kidding...or am I? No, I'm kidding...or am I? I'll stop now. I hope you guys enjoyed this story. Leave a kudos or a comment or both if you did. Thank you so much for following this story and this series in general.
> 
> Well, it's December 25 here in my corner of the world (The Philippines), so MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF YOU!


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